hehehehhe...thanks guys!!! Hubby now loves to see me eat. LOL He watched me not eat a bite for basically 5 days after surgery so now he delights in it even when it is things he thinks is nasty. He is bringing me home Popeye's fried chicken on Monday because I have been craving deep fried chicken. I know this might sound gross but it isn't really the chicken I am craving so much as the deep fried battered skin!!! Hubby hates the skin of the chicken but was all giggles and smiles when I told him what I was craving so he offered to bring me home some after work on Monday. I crave meat now like something crazy. I am making bbq steak with mushrooms and onions tonight and can't wait to get it into my mouth. hehehhehe It is so insane for me. I have never had craving for anything before, not really, but now the cravings are almost obsessive. When I get a craving I can't stop thinking about it until I get it. Speaking of, there is some cold chicken in the oven that is calling my name now...mmmm....with mayo and cheese....yep, I NEED a snack and that will be perfect! It is so awesome I can eat all these things and I have no restrictions on the food I can eat once everything is up and running. (Now, it's not pasta & veggies but that won't be forever) I have lost 8 kg (about 18 lbs) since the surgery about 3 weeks ago and that is super cool. I can't wait for my new digestive system to reach full functioning capacity. I am very excited about the possibilities. Off to grab a small snack now. Thanks again guys. You all ROCK!!!

My rainbow bridge babies have forever left their paw prints on my heart.
Lilith & Vixen, taken too soon. I love you always.

I looked this surgery up - did you have the 'duodenal switch'? It is pretty serious surgery but YOU rock and that's great!

hehehehe...it is a pretty serious surgery but I had the best team in the world. I mean that literally. The doctor that did the surgery is the head of Professor Scopinaro's team. Professor Scopinaro (the father of this procedure) is no longer able to perform surgery due to a very serious accident where he is lucky to be alive. He now walks with canes and shakes a lot as well as has speech issues. Nothing wrong with his brain though as he is like a god there and has received numerous prestigious awards all over the world as well as in the United States. He teaches at Mount Sinai in the US and the surgeon I had teaches at the hospital in Genova.

As to your question Candace, no I did not have the duodenal switch. That is not part of Professor Scopinaro's procedure. While they do perform that operation also at the same hospital where I was it is performed by another team.

The team I had was Professor Scopinaro's first team. My surgeon actually doesn't do many surgeries but I was one of the exceptions. He was very excited to do mine as he said 'This operation was MADE for you.' First and foremost I was diabetic before gaining any amount of weight and not the other way around. So to perform my surgery was to perform the surgery for the purpose it was created for. My surgeon told me that was very rare. As about 90% of the cases are for severely obese persons who became diabetic due to the obesity. Anyway, I have to stop because I tend to go on and on. I will bore you all stiff. LOL

Thanks again everyone. Much love, Michelle

My rainbow bridge babies have forever left their paw prints on my heart.
Lilith & Vixen, taken too soon. I love you always.

So glad to hear that all is going good - and getting even better. Keep it up, girl.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wolfy ~ Fuzzbutt #3

My little dog ~ a heartbeat at my feet

Sparky the Fuzzbutt - PT's DOTD 8/3/2010
RIP 2/28/1999~10/9/2012

Myndi the Fuzzbutt - Mom's DOTD - Everyday
RIP 1/24/1996~8/9/2013

Ellie - Mom to the Fuzzbuttz

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

The clock of life is wound but once and no man has the power
To know just when the hands will stop - on what day, or what hour.
Now is the only time you have, so live it with a will -
Don't wait until tomorrow - the hands may then be still.
~~~~true author unknown~~~~

Just wanted to give you guys a little update. It has been just over 2 months since my surgery. I had my first follow up appointment with my surgeon on December 20th. All my blood work was good and the surgeon told me to keep doing what I am doing cause everything is looking great. On December 20th I had lost 8 kg (nearly 18 lbs) from the time of my surgery. I have lost a total, as of January 5th (2 months exactly post surgery) of 13 kg (almost 29 lbs). I am eating more than before but according to Guido I am still eating like a bird. There are many things I ate before that I liked that I no longer like or don't digest well. I was having a bit of an issue hitting my target of 50 grams of protein a day so asked my surgeon about trying protein shakes and bars to reach it. He said to give it a try but it may not work for me because they are made with milk protein and milk protein has a tendency to cause nasty cramps and icky #2s. Luckily for me they have worked in my favor and I have had no ill effects from them. So now I am hitting my target of 50 grams of protein everyday. :-) So all in all things are going well. I am right on schedule with the weight loss and my numbers are all good. So far so good. :-)

Michelle

My rainbow bridge babies have forever left their paw prints on my heart.
Lilith & Vixen, taken too soon. I love you always.

Good to hear! My sister learned to figure out her protein first, then factor in other food, but she's very math-minded, so it went okay for her doing it that way!

I eat very little of anything but protein. I just don't have the stomach size for it yet. So, that is what I do too. I basically know what foods have what amount of protein per 100 grams of product. I only eat twice a day. I can't do anymore. I can't eat more than 100 grams of meat in a sitting either and they have only 20 grams of protein. The only way I was hitting 50 grams was by eating a 2 egg omelette (no milk) or 2 eggs scrambled (no milk) which gave me 40 grams and then I could have 50 grams of proscuitto crudo and I was good for my 50 grams that day. But I just couldn't go the 2 eggs every day route. With the protein shake (250 ml/8 oz) I am getting 25 grams of protein and I can still eat my 2 meals at different times. I do my protein shake for breakfast at about 8 am when I take all my vitamins and other meds. Around 1 I will have some cold cuts and then I eat supper which consists of 100 grams (small chicken breast, 1 loin chop, small salmon steak etc) with some potatoes of some sort (still can't eat rice or pasta or hardly any veggies) usually mashed or roasted an I am good until the next morning. And with these foods and the protein shake I am right on target. I had to factor in the protein first because it is what gives me everything I need to be productive....everything else is just extras and I only absorb about 25% of it's nutritional value whereas I absorb all the proteins nutritional value so it was necessary to make the protein intake top priority.

My rainbow bridge babies have forever left their paw prints on my heart.
Lilith & Vixen, taken too soon. I love you always.

I just read your 2 recent posts, Michelle. Sounds like things are going well overall, what a nice thing! Sending you cyber hugs - do a happy dance around the room! (It will drive the pets crazy, ha haaa).